Close Encounters
by MilitaryWife
Summary: You can't really get to know a person until you let them in. A series of 5 moments in the lives of Beth and Daryl. Set after Season 4 "Alone". (Beth does not get kidnapped).
1. Chapter 1

**Authors notes: Hey everyone! This is my first Walking Dead Fanfic. After reading so many wonderful Bethyl fics I decided to write my own. Hope you enjoy!**

Beth watched the rain start to fall outside as she poked and proded at the keys of the piano trying to come up with a new tune. Daryl had warned her to keep the blinds and curtains closed but she couldn't resist letting in a bit of light from the outside. Being in the mortuary was the first time in a long time that the walls and roof overhead were not made of concrete. It was the simple things she appreciated and she wanted to enjoy having a window to let the light come in while she could.

Her thoughts floated to Daryl and the evening before as she continued to play. They had been sitting in the kitchen. Daryl had been eating and she had been writing a thank you note to whoever had been there before them. They had shared a moment. Daryl had changed his mind and thought that there were still good people out there in this new world. When Beth realized she was the one that had changed his mind she was only able to respond with one word. _Oh._

The silence after that shared moment stuck in the air as they stared at each other. Neither could speak or move. Finally Daryl had broken the silence saying something about being tired and heading to bed. Beth just nodded her head and let him go. She knew he had opened up to her enough in one night and didn't want to push it. Or did she want to push it?

The last few days Beth's mind had been swirling with thoughts about Daryl. She thought of how much she enjoyed getting to know him on a deeper level. She liked pulling back the layers and seeing him for the first time for who he really was. The real Daryl. The person who never let anyone get to close. But he was letting her get close, wasn't he? He had told her about his past. He had told her that she had changed his mind. The way he looked at her sometimes made her feel like she had a million butterflies floating around in her stomach. She knew she was starting to fall for him. Did Daryl feel the same she wondered.

The morning had been quiet. Daryl had been outside most of it trying to see if there was anything useful in the shed out back. She watched through the window as he climbed the stairs and walked across the front porch. She stopped playing and listened as he gently opened and closed the front door. Beth turned around on the piano bench and waited for Daryl to enter the room.

"Hey." Daryl said as he entered the room laying his crossbow on one of the chairs and sitting himself down on the couch on the opposite wall from the piano.

"Find anything useful outside in the shed?" Beth asked.

"Just some tools." Daryl replied. Then he pulled a small pair of binoculars out of his pocket and held them up to show her. "And these. Might come in useful if we see any unusual activity around this place."

"Good find." Beth said as she played with her hair. She was nervous. She wasn't usually nervous around Daryl but after last night she found it hard to make conversation without feeling like she might spill the beans about how she felt about him.

"Come over here" Daryl insisted. "I want to take a look at that ankle."

Beth slowly got up making sure not to put too much pressure on her right leg. She crossed the room and sat beside Daryl on the couch. He reached down and gently pulled her leg onto his lap so he could get a closer look. Beth shifted her position so she was more comfortable. He slowly pulled her pant leg back and her sock down so he could inspect the damage the animal trap had caused. "Still swollen but looks like it's not as bad as it was. Bruising's gonna be there for a while." Daryl concluded. "Do ya find it any easier to walk on it?"

"A little." Beth replied looking at her foot and refusing to make eye contact with him. "Still sore though."

"Let me see if I can help some with that." Daryl gently pulled her sock off her foot. His calloused fingers gently massaged where the bruising was the worst.

Beth held her breath for a moment as she took in Daryl's touch. Not only was it helping her ankle feel better but she felt her cheeks start to flush. She needed a distraction and fast or she wasn't sure she'd be able to contain the noise that was bellowing deep down in her throat ready to come out. So she did what she did best. She started to talk and said the first thing that popped into her mind.

"Tell me about your first kiss." Beth asked out loud before she realized what she was saying. Or maybe she did realize what she was saying. She had been even more curious about Daryl's life before the zombie apocalypse after he had shared with her that night at the shack while they drank moonshine.

"You wanna know about my first kiss, huh?" Daryl responded while continuing to massage Beth's ankle. He stopped for a moment as he looked up at her to make sure he had heard her right.

"Yes." Beth affirmed.

"It was the summer I turned 15." Daryl started. "Merle was in the slammer for a couple of months. I started to hang out with the neighbor girl from down the street. Her name was Laura. Her mom worked a lot so we ended up hanging out at her place most of the time playing video games or watching movies. I thought we were just friends curing each other of boredom. Guess she thought differently. We were watching a movie and she planted a kiss on me one night right in the middle of an action scene. Took me by surprise but can't say I didn't like it."

Beth smiled. She liked hearing about Daryl's past. She knew he didn't open up to people that often. It made her feel closer to him. "What happened next? Did you and Laura end up dating?" she asked.

"I don't really know if you could call it dating." Daryl surmised. "We hung out a lot the rest of the summer and ended up getting closer. Then summer was over and Merle got out of jail."

"And what happened to Laura?" Beth asked intrigued by the story.

"I dumped her. Merle had told me you shouldn't spend that much time with one girl and I listened. Broke her heart I think. She never talked me again." Daryl said sadly. Beth knew even though Daryl acted tough he was sensitive towards people he let get close.

"Sounds like you could write your own romance novel." Beth joked trying to lighten the mood.

Daryl looked up at her and a small smirk formed on his lips. "Your turn Greene. Time to spill the beans. Who was your first kiss? Though I assume I already know the answer." Daryl said confidently.

"Guess." Beth taunted.

"I know it's Jimmy." Daryl insisted.

"Guess again." Beth said as a smile played on her lips.

"But I thought you told me he was your first boyfriend?" Daryl countered.

"I did tell you that and he was my first boyfriend." Beth affirmed. "Just cause you kiss someone doesn't make them your boyfriend." She shifted a bit closer to Daryl and she felt his fingers slowly move from her ankle up her leg and his hand rest comfortably on her thigh.

"Go on with it then. Tell me your story."

Beth sighed as she took a trip down memory lane. "I was 14. Maggie had just left for college. I went with my friends one night to the fall fair in town. We had a great time riding the ferris wheel and all the other rides. One by one they were all picked up but I couldn't get a hold of my dad to come pick me up. The park was about to close when I saw Maggie's ex-boyfriend Eric walk out in to the parking lot. He offered to drive me home and I let him. We started talking on the way home and continued for a while when we were parked in my driveway. Maggie had just broken up with him a few days earlier and he was still a little upset about that. I tried to comfort him a bit and tell him that he was a great guy. Before I could even realize what was happening he leaned over and kissed me. Truth be told I had always had a bit of a crush on him. I froze then got out of the car as quick as I could and never talked to him again."

"Did Maggie ever find out?" Daryl asked.

Beth laughed. "I'm still alive aren't I?"

"Yah. Suppose you are." Daryl smirked.

Silence filled the air again as Daryl slowly rubbed his thumb up and down Beth's thigh. She reached her hand forward and covered his with hers.

Their eyes met as Daryl felt Beth's touch. "Why'd you ask me about my first kiss?" Daryl inquired not breaking eye contact. He could feel the heat rise up the back of his neck from her touch.

Beth leaned forward a bit almost closing the gap between them. "Cause I figured we should know about each others first kiss before we shared our first kiss together." Beth whispered as she moved her free hand to the back of his neck gently pulling at his hair.

Laura may have made the first move when he was 15. He wasn't 15 anymore. He knew that not everyone might understand how Beth and him had gotten so close so fast. There was at least 15 years age difference between them. But in that moment he didn't care about the others. He only cared about what was in front of him and the girl in front of him was looking at him waiting for him to kiss her. So he did.

Daryl closed the gap and gently put his lips on her. Beth could feel the stubble of his chin on her face. She deepened the kiss still keeping it slow. Daryl pulled her closer so she was completely sitting in his lap so he could gain better access to her mouth. She parted her lips. As their tongues clashed together he got lost in the sweetness of her mouth. It seemed like the world around them stopped as they got lost in each other.

After a few moments Beth pulled back and leaned her forehead against his as she tried to catch her breath. "Guess that was our first kiss." Beth pointed out.

Daryl slowly leaned Beth back so she was laying on the couch so they'd be more comfortable. He guided himself above her and lowered himself so they were touching but not so much as he would crush her. He gently stroked her hair out of her face as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Ready for our second kiss beautiful?" Daryl asked. Beth smiled and her eyes lit up. He didn't wait for her reply as he placed his lips on hers for the second time that day.

**So what did you think? There are four more chapters to this story with a time jump between most of them. Please click to follow so you can get the update as they become available.**


	2. Chapter 2

10 Months later

Beth hummed to herself as she stood at the kitchen counter of the funeral home preparing a late breakfast for her and Daryl. The sun shone brightly through the kitchen window. Beth figured it was mid morning. It was odd for Daryl to sleep in this late.

Just as she finished mixing the peaches in with the oatmeal she heard Daryl come through the swinging door. She heard him walk up behind her and smiled as he wrapped his arms around her placing his hands firmly on her stomach.

"Mornin" Daryl said then placed a kiss on her cheek.

"Mornin to you too." Beth replied sweetly. She closed her eyes briefly and took in the moment. There had been many moments between them the last 10 months. Most of them had been good with only a few arguments.

Beth turned around and placed her arms around Daryl's neck. "And what kept you in bed so late this morning Mr. Dixon?" Beth mused.

Daryl smiled. "A certain someone made me stay up late giving her a back rub. I tried to go to sleep but she wouldn't stop harrassing me until I gave in."

"Like you didn't enjoy it." Beth teased.

Daryl reached down and put his hands on her stomach once more. "Little Dixon have you up early again?" he asked. Beth was about seven months along now. Her belly protruded from her small frame. It looked as though she had went and stuck a basketball down her shirt.

"Just practicing her moves before she gets on the outside." Beth concluded.

"It could be a boy you know." Daryl said as he held her tight against his chest. They would both find out soon enough. Daryl had been scared when he realized she was pregnant. Thoughts of what had happened to Lori had filled his head. He couldn't stand to loose Beth. Beth calmed him down reminding him that babies had been born at home for years. Not everyone who had a baby died. They both had a bit of knowledge about home delivery from Lori's pregnancy. Her dad had been talking about it almost daily in the months leading up to Lori's due date. Daryl had even managed to scavenge a book about pregnancy on one of his last runs and there was a very detailed account of child birth near the end of it. It would have been nice to have other famly around to share this moment with them when the time came. They had been alone for so long though now that it didn't bother her as much as she thought it should have. As long as they had each other. That's all that mattered.

"Time for breakfast." Beth announced pulling out of Daryl's embrace. As they both headed towards their individual seats at the kitchen table they heard a noise come from outside. It sounded like a vehicle.

Daryl froze and strained to hear the noise coming from outside. "Is that what i think it is?" Beth whispered.

Daryl picked up his crossbow and started giving commands. "Go hide Beth. Remember the plan. If I'm not back in 15 minutes then sneak out and wait for me in the woods."

Beth nodded grabbing her hand gun off the counter. They had came up with an emergancy plan months ago after they made the official decision to stay put at the mortuary. Beth would hide and if he didn't return in the alloted time then she'd sneak out and meet him up at their spot in the woods about a mile away. Daryl had even thought to hang a bag of supplies high up in the tree with some food, water and weapons. Luckily they hadn't ran into much trouble during their stay other then the occasional walker. She hoped today wouldn't be any different.

"Be careful." she cautioned before disappearing from the kitchen and heading down the hall.

Daryl loaded his crossbow and headed out the front door. He quietly walked around to the side of the house where he saw a mini-van parked in the driveway. It was parked far enough away that he could only make out that there were people inside but he couldn't see their faces. He counted at least four but their could be more in the back. He continued to peer around the corner concealing most of his body with his crossbow loaded and aimed at the vehicle. He would let them get out and make the first move.

Daryl saw the side door of the van slide open and a teenage boy step out. He almsot did a double take as he realized who was standing in front of him. Carl. Next stepped out Michonne. Then Maggie. He could feel his arms automatically start to lower the crossbow as the tension drained from his body. The drivers side door opened and he watched Rick step around to the front of the van his gun by his side. Glen opened the passengers side door and followed beside Rick. Daryl couldn't believe the five of them were standing only 20 feet away. They were all pretty clean looking. They looked like they were out for a Sunday drive rather then surviving during the middle of a zombie apocalypse. He heard them start to converse about the best way to enter the mortuary in front of them.

Lowering his crossbow the rest of the way, Daryl took this moment to make his presence known. He stepped off the porch and down on to the driveway.

The groups conversation stopped as they looked at the man in front of them. "Daryl?" Rick was the first to speak.

Daryl walked forward until he was standing directly in front of them. "You're here." Daryl replied. "You're all here."

Glenn made the first move and hugged his friend. "It's good to see you man. Really good." Rick was the next followed by Maggie, Michonne and lastly Carl. Daryl was not a hugger. He avoided them as often as he could. The last few months had softened him a bit and after being separated from his prison family for almost year he thought he'd make an exception.

"How long have you been here?" Rick asked as he pointed towards the funeral home.

"Since almost the beginning." Daryl answered.

"We were just out on a run. Our camp is about 20 miles back. Supplies are getting harder to find these days and we have to go further out each time." Glen informed.

"Are you with others?" Rick questioned.

Daryl looked down before answering. "Just one." He knew they would all be ecstatic to see Beth. He just wasn't so sure what they would think of seeing her seven months pregnant.

"Who?" Maggie asked with a hint of desperation seeping into her voice.

Daryl met Maggie's eyes and answered simply. "Beth."

Maggie immediately started charging towards the house confidence filling every step. Daryl grabbed her arm as she walked by turning her around. "Maggie! Wait!" Daryl shouted.

"What Daryl? I want to go see my sister." Maggie explained trying to break free from his hold on her.

"I need to tell you something first." Daryl admitted letting go of her arm once he was confident Maggie would stay where she was. "She's not the same...she's.." Daryl stammered. Daryl wondered why he couldn't just spit it out. Just tell them all that she was pregnant. Pregnant with his baby. He was brave in a lot of sitautions but standing here in front of Maggie he felt like a coward. "She's...she's...changed since you saw her last."

"We've all changed Daryl. This world and what happened at the prison with my dad has changed all of us. I'm sure it ain't nothin I can't handle." Maggie declared.

Daryl nodded. "Follow me then." he said taking the lead.

The rest followed after him. He opened the front door and led them to what he and Beth considered their living room. The piano sat against the wall but the casket had long been moved. He motioned for them to go inside. "Wait here." Daryl commanded. "Beth's hiding in another room. I'll go get her and bring her in."

Daryl turned and headed down the hall to a small storage room. He opened the door and as soon as the light filtered in Beth moved out from behind some boxes and stood in front of him. "Is everything okay?" she whispered.

"It is."

"Who was out there? What did they want?" Beth questioned. He could see a bit of Beth's nervousness leave but could tell she was still a bit upset.

"There's some people in the livingroom who would like to see you." he answered.

"Who?" Beth asked. She drew closer to Daryl as she wondered who was waiting for her.

"Carl. Rick. Michonne. Glenn. Maggie." Tears filled Beth's eyes as Daryl said the names. Her family was here. They were all here.

Beth felt little Dixon kick and her hand immediately went to her belly. "Do they know about the baby?"

"No. I didn't tell them." Daryl said quietly. "I tried...but...I couldn't get it out."

Beth grabbed his hand and walked out of the storage closet. "Then we'll tell them...together."


End file.
